1. The Field of the Invention
The present invention is related to an improved beverage dispensing apparatus and process. More particularly, the present invention is related to an improved soft drink mixing and dispensing apparatus which can be employed in a conventional grocery store for use by a consumer to fill recyclable bottles.
2. Technical Background
Soft drinks and related products have recently achieved a high degree of popularity. Indeed, the sale of soft drinks and related products has resulted in a multi-billion dollar a year market in the United States. Some soft-drink products have achieved popularity virtually throughout the entire world. However, one of the problems with the sales and marketing of soft drinks is that they continue to be relatively expensive. Consumer demand would likely expand if the cost of soft drinks and their related products could be kept lower.
Some of the reasons for the high cost of soft drinks are unrelated to the actual cost of the ingredients to make the drink. For example, soft drink containers are relatively expensive when compared with the cost of the finished product. Expensive metal cans or plastic containers are presently widely used to dispense soft drinks. At the same time, the price of metal, such as aluminum, is high. Plastic soft drink containers are also expensive when compared to the cost of the actual soft drink contained within the container. While some soft drink containers are recyclable, notably aluminum cans, most soft drink containers are not recycled in practice. For example, it is unusual to recycle plastic bottles.
A further factor resulting in increased cost of soft drinks is expensive bottling techniques. While soft drink bottling is highly automated, the cost of the automated equipment is high. At the same time, significant labor is involved in both soft drink bottling and the distribution of the filled bottles. Thus, labor and equipment costs add significantly to the cost of the soft drink.
As a result of the factors discussed above, the actual soft drink purchased in a grocery store or other retail outlet may represent a relatively minor portion of the cost of the finished product. A significant portion of the cost is represented by the cost of the soft drink container and the labor and equipment costs in manufacturing the drink, filling the containers and distributing the filled containers.
Thus, it would be an economic advantage to the consumer, the manufacturer and the retail outlet alike to reduce the costs of these items which tend to increase the cost of the finished soft drink product. Reduction in the cost of these items would likely increase the volume of soft drink sold by the retail outlet, resulting in increased profits for both the retailer and the manufacturer. Additionally, the lower costs would be an obvious benefit to the consumer.
Two ways that cost could be controlled would be through the reuse of reusable containers and through reducing the cost of equipment and labor required in filling those containers. Specifically, it would be beneficial to provide the consumer with a reusable container which the consumer could himself refill at the retail outlet.
In the past, however, it has been difficult to provide the necessary equipment for refilling containers at a retail outlet. This is particularly true in the case of goods such as soft drinks that require the mixing of two or more components for the formation of the final product.
One of the major limitations on such equipment is that of size. Square footage within a retail outlet is at a premium. Consequently, equipment and display cases utilized within a retail must be of optimum size. The use of conventional equipment having the capability of dispensing a large volume of soft drinks is generally not viable in a grocery store setting because of space constraints.
An additional problem arises when it is necessary to mix various components of the product dispensed. For example, when bottling soft drinks it is typically necessary to mix carbonated water with a syrup flavoring. Thus, there must exist a source for each component, and each component must be properly pumped, treated and mixed. This presents complex problems when attempting to employ technology which may be used within a dispensing machine to be installed within a conventional grocery store space.
An additional problem associated with beverage dispensing machines designed for use directly by the consumer is that the quality of the final product is generally not consistent. The proportion of carbonated water and syrup flavoring in the beverage, or Brix, may depend on pressures and temperatures within the machine which may vary greatly over time. Also, because carbonated water degenerates rapidly, the level of carbonation in the carbonated water may vary substantially depending on how the machine is used. Additionally, the temperature at which the beverage is dispensed may be greatly affected by a variety of factors, including the ambient temperature and how long the machine has been sitting without being used.
Contaminants affecting the quality of the beverage may be introduced into the beverage because of the difficulty of keeping the machine clean. Additionally, if the container is supplied by the consumer, it is difficult to exercise any degree of control over how clean the container will be.
A significant problem associated with the use of consumer-operated beverage dispensing machines is that such machines are typically not very user friendly. Depending on the machine used, a significant degree of know-how may be required of the consumer to successfully operate the machine. For example, such machines may rely on the consumer for a variety of monitoring functions, such as judging when the container is full and controlling the effects of foaming.
A typical consumer-operated beverage dispensing machine includes a switch, within the control of the consumer, for commencing and discontinuing flow of the beverage. Permitting the consumer to commence and discontinue flow of the beverage, however, is inefficient because of the potential for spillage. Of course, beverage which is spilled adds to the overhead costs of operating the machine.
Relying on the consumer to control foaming can also result in spillage of beverage. Indeed, controlling foaming of carbonated beverages in such machines is a substantial problem. Foaming in the beverage makes it difficult for the consumer to fill the container with any rapidity. Additionally, if foam spills over the top of the container and onto the container's exterior, the consumer must then wash off the exterior of the container, resulting in a general disincentive for the consumer to use the machine.
Thus, it would be an advancement in the art to provide a beverage dispensing apparatus and process which may be used by a consumer to fill recyclable containers with beverages such as carbonated soft drinks and thereby provide a low-cost alternative to purchasing pre-packaged beverages.
It would be a further advancement in the art to provide such a beverage dispensing apparatus and process which would consistently dispense a quality beverage, such as a beverage having a consistent Brix, having highly carbonated water and being dispensed at a consistently cold temperature.
It would be an additional advancement in the art to provide such a beverage dispensing apparatus and process which would be user friendly, and which would not rely on the user to determine when to shut off the flow of beverage to the container or to control foaming.
Such a device and process is disclosed and claimed herein.